He [Jesus] said, “Come.” So Peter got out of the boat and walked on the water and came to Jesus.
--Matthew 14:29
There’s nothing quite as scary as taking that first step of faith. Yet at the same time, there’s nothing quite as exhilarating as actually taking that first step of faith!
So often in life, we’re averse to any kind of risk… anything that might take us out of our comfort zone. But that’s the great part about the Christian life. It’s risky sometimes!
Yet we know that with any step of faith, our hope is in the Lord Jesus Christ, who as the Scripture says, will not let your foot slip.
Remember Moses? There he was, minding his business as a shepherd when God spoke to him from the burning bush, and called him to deliver the children of Israel. What was Moses’ response? “I can’t do it, Lord. I don’t speak very well, and no one will believe me.”
Then God asked Moses, “What’s in your hand?” Moses looked down at his shepherd’s rod and said, “A stick.”
God eventually used that stick… that ordinary shepherd’s crook… to bring water from a rock, to split the Red Sea, and to deliver an entire nation from the hands of Pharaoh!
God used what Moses was already doing… something he was already good at… to do what only God could do.
So what about you? What’s in your hand today? Could it be that, like Moses, God could use something you’re already doing, something you’re already good at, to accomplish his purpose?
If you sense that God is urging you to take that first step of faith today, I urge you… once and for all… just do it! It may feel risky, but through Christ Jesus, your future is secure. Your course is set. God may be just waiting on you so you can start the rest of your life!
So look at what’s in your hand, trust in God’s care and provision for you, and take that first step of faith. Will it be scary? Yeah, maybe. Will it be exhilarating? Absolutely!
Jesus said all it takes is the faith of a mustard seed to move a mountain. It’s my prayer that God will give you the courage to take that first step to see the mountains move in your life today.
WITH ANY STEP OF FAITH, YOUR HOPE IS IN THE LORD JESUS CHRIST, WHO WILL NOT LET YOUR FOOT SLIP.
by Dr. Paul Chappell
“Then he called his twelve disciples together, and gave them power and authority over all devils, and to cure diseases. And he sent them to preach the kingdom of God, and to heal the sick. And he said unto them, Take nothing for your journey, neither staves, nor scrip, neither bread, neither money; neither have two coats apiece.”
Luke 9:1–3
God calls and commands His children to do His work in the world. The plan for reaching the lost and building the church requires God’s people to do the work—but it is a work that can only be done effectively through His power. The final command of Christ that we commonly call the Great Commission is grounded and based on the authority that belongs to Jesus. “And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost” (Matthew 28:18–19).
The authority of Jesus means that we do not face our battles and our work on our own. We can and must rely on the power and work of the Holy Spirit who lives within us for the ministry we are meant to do. We have no other hope of success. A. W. Tozer said, “I’m not afraid of the devil. The devil can handle me—he’s got judo I never heard of. But he can’t handle the One to whom I’m joined; he can’t handle the One to whom I’m united; he can’t handle the One whose nature dwells in my nature.”
When we operate based on our own strength and resources, we can only accomplish what lies in our ability. But no matter how great those abilities may be, they are not equal to God’s calling. Only in His strength can we fulfill His mission.
Today’s Growth Principle:
If we rely on the power given to us rather than our own strength, our ministry for God will be effective.
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